Are We Too Quick To Cancel School These Days? [OPINION]
At the risk of sounding like the stereotypical "back in my day we used to walk a mile (uphill both ways) through snow to get to school in a potato sack and barefoot" guy, it seems like we are canceling school way too much lately.
Maybe it is simply recency bias or maybe it is because I have a school-aged kid for the first time in my life this year. Maybe I am simply underestimating the impact weather has on kids waiting for the bus, etc.
On Tuesday, my son's school announced that it would close (he's in preschool so no e-learning) on Wednesday and Thursday due to the impending snowstorm. By my count, that makes five snow days this year alone. There have also been a few 'late start' days mixed in there as well.
Anecdotally and without any evidence to back this up, I don't think we got five days off for snow the entire 18 years I was in school!
For the second time this year the decision to cancel school looks like a premature one. The roads, while slick Wednesday morning, certainly were not unpassable. The temp, while cold, is 'only' -3 when you factor in the wind chill. Nary a flake of snow has fallen as of noon and none is forecast to fall in this area until the evening.
It is extremely difficult to find child care (or get the day off of work) with such short notice so in my opinion these decisions should not be made lightly. In this case, it was much ado about nothing.